It's always so unexciting, the way the ball drops so slowly and steadily. It's like watching someone hit a home run off a ball that was carried from the mound to the plate at 1 foot per second. Why not actually DROP the ball? Have it work its way half way down the pole over the first 58 seconds of the final minute and then let it freefall the last 2 seconds. The way it is now, the ball slowly disappears behind the unlit new year numbers in the final seconds and people think they messed up the timing or something. Or they could even add fireworks to it... to the ball itself. Have it shoot out some sparks for each of the last 10 seconds. Every year they just add more crystals and lights to it. Boring.